bloviatrix

Onions that didn't make my eyes tear.

The one thing that comes to mind is my flourless chocolate cake. I've had people request it on numerous occasions. This is one of those things that's indecently easy to make and yet always leaves them clamoring for more. When I've brought it as a gift, I can see the recipient thinking "do I have to serve this? or can I keep it for myself?" I'm also known for my gingerbread-apricot hamentaschen. Last year, I didn't have a chance to bake for Purim, and I had to make calls to friends to give them a heads up so they wouldn't kill me (I had a good excuse, I chaired a dinner for 400 the day before Purim). I'm told that my friends will hide these from their spouse so they don't have to share. We even had someone who moved out of our neighborhood make a trip over for the hamentaschen because they didn't want to miss out. It's really quite flattering to know that you can have such an impact on people.

How many of you guys remember drinking juice or any other liquids out of glasses that originally held Yerzheit candles?

My first food memories are from age 3. We went to England for the summer, and I disctinctly remember eating chicken soup with noodles at Blooms, which was a kosher restaurant near our hotel. Later on the trip we stayed at old estate which had been converted to hotel where I had my first Smarties. I loved those things. I highly doubt I had ever eaten M&Ms up to that point, so I thought all the colors were neat. The other distinct food memory from a specific time in my life was when I was 17 and living in Jerusalem. For some reason, I had a craving for lox, and it wasn't available in Israel, so my parents brought me a vacuum-packed lox when they came to visit. Unfortunately, they didn't bring any bagels to go with. But that lox was like heaven. Hillvalley, I also have a deli story from sleep away. One of my bunkmates received a salami from Schmulke Bernsteins on visiting day. The salami had a loop of string hanging from the end, so E decided to hang the salami from a nail in the rafters and let the salami "age." Four weeks later, the night before camp ended, she took the salami down. All the fat had migrated to the outside. And at 3 in morning we all sat around eating "aged" salami sandwiches using bread and mustard we had stolen from the dining room.

Toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and ginger

Pan, you can find zhug at some of the kosher stores. I think Fairway also carries it.

I wish smell of garlic didn't seep through the skin after eating it. And it would be pretty nice not smell "liquored up" after drinking.

I might join in on occasion. Maybe even for the attempt at challah. Make sure to make the recipe for the chocolate chunk cookies with coffee and dried apricots. I normally make it as bar cookies and they're really quite rich.

For everyday EVOO I use the Fairway house label. If I just want plain OO I go with Bertolli. But I also keep canola and peanut oil for certain things.

Replaced crushed tomatoes (32oz) with 15 or 16oz of tomato sauce. I thought I had it [reasonably] covered. I have a feeling that the combination of tomato sauce and proscuitto is what made the sauce too salty. (Can someone confirm the proscuitto? I've never eaten it due to kashrut)

I'm having "one of those days". to put it mildly, it's a good thing my head's attached to my body, because I'd lose it otherwise. Anyway, I mis-read your announcement as if you were pre-taping the interview this morning for tomorrow. I think I need a nap.

So, how did it go? Are there any suprises in store? As of now, it looks like I'll be home tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait to watch.

Whitefish, scallions, and lemon The classic mirepoix: onion, carrots, celery

What happens if you eat an apple with the peel removed? Do you still get the urge to cough?

One of my friends grew up with a guy who went on to the NBA. The guy grew up in an upper-middle class family, travelled a lot as a kid, and had a college diploma. He would constantly complain about his team mates and how all they wanted to do was stay in their hotel rooms reading comic books and playing video games or cards. He wanted to check out museums, historic sights, good restaurants. But they all looked at him like he had a second head growing out off his body. And being a 7 foot white guy, there's no way you can't draw attention to yourself.

You think your mom is misguided? My mil thought chopped liver contained mayonaise. We're still shaking our heads over that one.

Collector's item. I have also secreted away two bars of Rokeach kosher dish soap, one lettered in orangish-pink, the other in sky-blue, to keep milchig and fleishig from intermarrying.. I think you can still find it in some stores. Particularly around Boro Park. Being that I grew up in an era of kosher dish washing liquid and color coded sponges, it was until about 5 years ago that I realized that the soap came in red and blue to differentiate it. But why no green for parve? Years ago, I had to deliver a peckalach of kosher soap to a friend's daughter in Jerusalem. I could never figure out why of all things, that was what she requested from her mom. Like you can't find kosher soap in Israel. The still sell Nyafat as well. Both plain and onion flavored. I've seen it in the kosher aisle at Shop-Rite. That stuff looks nasty.

My last trip there I found some really good pretzels from Israel - which I definitely wasn't expecting to find.

I'm dizzy after that tour. Carry on.....

In my family, ice box cake is layers of graham crackers and chocolate pudding.

We went through the planning process of a kitchen renovation several years ago (it never happened, but that's another story). Anyway, our designer suggested we use Amtico which makes vinyl flooring. Her experience was that it's comfortable for long-term standing and easy to clean. The selection of colors and styles is absolutely overwhelming - we spent several hours in the showroom looking at choices and figuring what would work best in our space.

I just spewed scone all over my keyboard. That's really classic.

Wow!! Everything looks amazing. Thanks for providing a vicarious thrill.

I forgot another quasi new place - Piece of Cake on Lex, it's diagonally across the street from the 92nd st Y heading south). They're a bakery, but they also serve food. The place has been around for awhile, but just recently received supervision. I've had "snacks" there, no real food. The chocolate sour cream pound cake was outrageously rich. And they have really good chocolate chunk cookies. Nice looking and tasting cupcakes according to my friend A. It's convenient to the Y if you want some coffee beforehand.

Box Tree is on E. 49th btw 2nd and 3rd. I agree about the service charge. We would have given more than 18% if it hadn't been tacked. There was room for an additional tip, but we felt that one of the few mis-steps of the evening was that no where did they alert to the fact that they add a service charge. Our bill was slightly over $200. I ordered two glasses of wine. Blovie wasn't drinking that night. Il Patrizio is on 63rd just east of 3rd Ave. Apps topped out at $10. Pastas were no more than $18 and fish probably $25. To be honest, I wasn't paying much attention to prices but they're in line with the prices at other dairy places of its ilk.